*Targets UPA, NC-Cong Govts for doing nothing
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 6: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is most powerful leader in the country and only he is capable of bringing Jammu and Kashmir out of the present crisis even as she charged former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for not showing any courage to visit Pakistan during his 10-year rule and previous NC-Congress Government in the State for allowing unrest to simmer, which erupted like a volcano.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Bikram Chowk-Convent School Fly Over project at Government Gandhi Nagar College Auditorium in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta and Jammu-Poonch MP Jugal Kishore Sharma among others, Mehbooba said Modi has mandate of the entire country as he was heading the first majority Government after 30 years and expressed confidence that he will initiate steps to bring the State out of present morass.
Amidst the threat of another summer unrest in the Kashmir valley, Mehbooba said: “we have a very strong Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm of affairs, who is backed by strong mandate of the people, and whatever decision he will take (to restore peace and normalcy in the Kashmir valley), he will be backed by people of the country”.
Urging Modi to initiate steps on Kashmir problem to end the trouble, Mehbooba said though she would be criticized for her statement but she was saying it will full authority that it is Narendra Modi, who can bring the State out of the sticky spot.
“It is my earnest appeal to him (the Prime Minister) to take some initiatives on Kashmir,” she said.
Describing Modi as the “strong Prime Minister”, Mehbooba took a dig at former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh of Congress (albeit without naming him), who ruled the country for 10 years as head of UPA-I and UPA-II, saying he didn’t muster the courage to visit Pakistan though he kept on saying that he had the desire to visit his birthplace (in Pakistan).
Contrary to this, the Chief Minister said Narendra Modi took “bold and courageous decision” to visit Lahore in December 25, 2015 which, she added, showed his sign of “strength and power” and not “weakness”.
“He (Dr Manmohan Singh) also would have tried to end the confrontation between the two countries, and bring J&K out of this unfortunate situation, but he had no courage to do that,” she lamented.
Asserting that Kashmir problem has not developed overnight but was there for past 70 years, Mehbooba, however, said the situation aggravated as the result of pent up anger due to failure of the UPA Government to continue with the policy started by the previous NDA Government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Jammu and Kashmir during her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s rule between 2002 to 2005.
Giving credit to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for starting the “chapter of peace” in Jammu and Kashmir in 2002, the Chief Minister said both of them tried their best to bring Kashmir out of this unfortunate situation and were successful to a large extent in shortest period of time.
“There was ceasefire (along Indo-Pak border) during Vajpayee’s rule. There were talks with then Deputy Prime Minister, Incharge Home L K Advani (in Kashmir). There was beginning of the process of opening (cross -LoC) roads,” she recalled and said even militancy declined during that period and there was peace on the borders.
“These were not small developments. But unfortunately Mufti was out of the Government and Vajpayee ji left, and the process came to grinding halt,” the PDP leader said and charged that UPA regime at the Centre and the State Government did not carry forward the process thinking “everything is peaceful and there is no need to do anything further”.
“There was pent-up lava. It started to come out when the youths were out on the streets in 2008 and then 2009 and 2010. This lava has now spread to the streets and we are forced to face this situation in the form of volcano,” the Chief Minister said.
She added that though her Government was trying to improve the situation in Kashmir, there are some forces which do not want it (return of peace).
“Mufti sahib, who had seen a dream, shook hands with the Prime Minister of our country Narendra Modi, who has got the mandate of the people,” she said.
Mehbooba said nobody will be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the State.
Those who take the law into their own hands will be dealt with appropriately, she said.
Without naming bovine smugglers or cow vigilante groups, she called upon the IGP Jammu, who was present at the function, to take action against the both.
She cautioned people against the nefarious designs of some “negative” elements, who want to derail the developmental process in the State by creating an “atmosphere of hate”.
Complimenting the people of Jammu for maintaining communal harmony and brotherhood despite “provocation”, the Chief Minister said nobody will be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, and mischief-mongers will be dealt with sternly.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh said the Government will take every step to ensure security and peace in the Valley.
“Our focus (on the State) has not changed. Kashmir has been facing challenges not because of the Coalition Government. The situation in the Valley has been there for long,” he told reporters after inauguration of Fly Over project.
Singh was reacting to the Centre’s directive to the State Government yesterday to confiscate the equipment of cable operators allegedly airing unauthorized Pakistani channels in the State and take action against them.
On a video showing two alleged Special Police Officers (SPOs) being tortured by militants, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “Pakistan is playing a game in Kashmir. Terrorists are playing a game. Kashmiris are being terrorized. But the people of the State want peace and the tourism season to be normal.”
The BJP leader said the Government was doing its best for the development of the State.
“The Rs 70 crore-flyover in Jammu is the biggest gift the State can receive. From parking lots to ring roads, the Government is doing its best for the development of the State. Our main focus is to bring peace and security to the people of the state,” he said.
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